Fly Fishing

Music To A Hare's Ear

By Henry Bell

Fly
fishing is best described as fishing with an artificial lure (fly) designed
to imitate aquatic insects and bait fish that live in a trout stream.
Fly lures also imitate land insects such as ants, beetles, inch worms,
and grasshoppers that find their way into the water. The material used
to construct these flies are fur, feathers, tinsel, yarns and flosses
which are wrapped around a hook. A successful fly fisher is one who possesses
a good knowledge of the insects which inhabit the streams that he or
she fishes. In recent years fly fishing, a sport which has been practiced
in the United States since pre-revolutionary days, has enjoyed increased
popularity.

A delicate sport, fly fishing requires patience and a love for quiet.
Deceiving the elegant trout with a self-made fly is a great thrill, but
one that requires patient pursuit and the skill to place the bait where
it seems natural to the prey. Fly fishers spend years learning the intricacies
of the fish, the streams where they live, the tackle and the technique.
Yet seldom does a seasoned expert find a thrill that exceeds that of
the first hit on a fly rod.

Equal (at least) to the excitement of the catch is the requisite acquaintance
with some of nature's most ornate exhibits alongside the water's edge
creeping into the bed beneath the water. The clarity of the stream's
rush seems to match the crispness of the air, so fresh as to seem intoxicating,
laced with that smell that belongs only to a mountain stream.
Whether you fly fish or not, fresh, free-flowing waterways are the most
captivating of nature's gifts. Learning to fish the streams is a wonderful
way to get closer to what is available here in New Jersey's Great Northwest.

To equip yourself for fly fishing in the Skylands, outfit as follows.
A 7 1/2 to 8 foot rod for a 4 to 5 weight line will do nicely. Leaders
7 1/2 to 9 foot with tippet material of 4, 5, 6 and 7X should handle
any fishing situation you come across. The following selection of flies
should work well: for streamers use muddler minnows, matukas, wooly
buggers in sizes 8, 10 and 12. For nymphs use gold ribbed hares
ears, fox squirrel, prince nymph, caddis larva, and stone flies in
sizes 10, 12 and 14. For wets use soft hackles, lead wing and white
wing coachmen in sizes 12, 14 and 16. For dry flies used Adams, blue
wing olives, elk hair caddis in sizes 12, 14, 16 and 18. Don't worry
if your comprehension of these terms resembles that of a foreign language;
they will quickly become familiar. more on flies...

Before those of you who are already equipped take your first trip out
this year, run some yarn through the guides to check for burrs, which
can ruin a fly line in no time flat. Next, inspect your fly line for
any abrasion cracks. If it's smooth dress your line with a good fly line
cleaner-floatant combination. And don't forget to check your waders for
leaks. Entering a stream in April with leaky waders can be an eye-opening
experience! With your gear checked and your fly reel lubricated, head
for the hills.

One of New Jersey's most popular streams, the Big Flat Brook offers
fine trout fishing in beautiful settings from Route 206 to where the
river empties into the Delaware below the town of Walpack in Sussex County.
It also boasts a 4 mile "fly fishing only" section located from the Route
206 bridge downstream to the Roy Bridge on Mountain Road. During April
and May it can be crowded at times but if you take some time to explore
the river you will find a spot to escape the crowd and enjoy the fishing.
The fly fisher may expect all the major fly and caddis fly hatches. Remember,
don't limit yourself to the "fly fishing only" section of the Flat Brook.
During April and May the State Department of Fish and Game stocks this
stream every Friday (check your compendium for the dates) and the entire
stream has a good trout population during these months. During late May
and into early June you will find prolific blue wing olive hatches and
enjoy wonderful dry fly fishing in the early morning hours.

Our next stop is Van Campen Brook located just a stone's throw from
the Flat Brook in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Van Campen
is a small mountain stream which is not stocked by the state; you are
fishing wild fish. Since it is designated as a wild trout stream you
should check your compendium for speical regulations which govern this
stream. Hip boots are all you need to get around. Read the water and
keep a low profile; it doesn't take too much to spook wild trout which
lie in the little pools and riffles. There is nothing more rewarding
than to catch a few wild trout in a beautiful setting. Oh, by the way,
it is not uncommon to come face to face with a black bear; so beware!

Just over the mountain from Van Campen Brook is the lower end of the
Paulinskill River running near Blairstown. The river is easily accessible
anywhere along its journey from Limecrest in Sussex County to the Delaware,
is heavily stocked, and holds a good trout population during June and
July. The Paulinskill has a prolific mayfly and caddis fly population,
and you can expect all the major hatches, especially the sulphur dun
which appears in early May through the end of May. I have seen the sulphur
hatch so thick that it almost appears to be snowing. During April and
May this river is very crowded, and, if possible, mid-week fishing offers
the most solitude.

From Blairstown its just a short ride down Route 94 South to Route 80
West where the exit at Worthington State Park leads to more mountain
stream fishing at Dunnfield Creek. Park in the lot and put on a good
pair of hiking shoes. Dunnfield Creek runs for approximately 2 1/2 miles
down the Kittatinny Ridge, and you can sample the entire stream from
a path which eventually links up to the Appalachian Trail in the Delaware
Water Gap National Recreation Area. The fishing is challenging and the
scenery is out of this world. Flies of choice are small gold ribbed
hares ear in sizes 14 and 16, prince nymphs size 14, and soft hackles
in size 18. Now designated a wild trout stream, Dunnfield Creek will
enjoy reduced fishing pressure.

Further south, east on Route 46, you can hit the Pequest River in Great
Meadows. The river runs from Andover to the Delaware in Belvidere and
is a classic spring fed stream offering an abundance of insect life with
all the major hatches.There are many access points from Route 46, and
you should be able to wade it for miles during normal water conditions.
The river is unique in that it also fishes well during the winter. Like
the Flatbrook, the Pequest is stocked on Fridays during April and May.

Henry Bell is an Instructor
for the Wildlife Conservation Corps

Comments

allow me to post a warning regarding wildlife in the skylands. leave it
alone number one and be aware of copperheads and timber rattle snakes,they
abound through out the entire region. never crawl around the edge of pools
and be exceptionally careful of set back ledges. also as we always do,
carry out the garbage left there by fools who don't belong anywhere, least
of all in such beautiful places.

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Damen,\r\nI would recomend the South Branch of the Raritan River in the Ken
Lockwood Gorge however they decided to build a road through there and I am
not sure what effect that is going to have on the fishing. There is a very
small stream nearby that holds some wild brook trout. I really don't want
to say the name here but if you email me I can tell you about it.\r\nAlso,
you can try the Muscenetcong River. There is an access point in nearby
Hampton NJ at the community park. Wade upstream to where they removed the
dam, there is some great pocket water there. I did very well there this
year using a czech-nymphing technique.\r\n

Damen McAdams19 Jul 2009, 12:40

I will be going on vacation from Ireland to Annandale NJ in Aug. Can you
suggest some good trout flyfishing river/s close to this area. \r\nThanks
in anticipation, Damien

jack amiano16 Jun 2009, 10:01

i would like to know when will ken lock gorg road be finst what mouth

Zak Mir21 Apr 2009, 10:12

Hello, I am in Essex county and new to fly fishing but very interested to
get started this year. Can someone recommend what kind of gear(bait,etc) to
get and from where, and beginners location? \r\n\r\nThanks for the help.

Zak Mir21 Apr 2009, 10:11

Hello, I am new to fly fishing but very interested to get started. Can
someone recommend what kind of gear(bait,etc). to get and a beginners
location? Thanks for the help.

Mike B.16 Dec 2008, 07:29

South Jersey doesnt have nearly as adequate rivers for fly fishing as the
NW part of the state. I advise the drive. You do have parts of the
Rancocas Creek that are stocked (Burlington County). In Ocean County you
have the Toms River, Manasquan River, and two branches of the Metedeconk
River. I've fished all of them on the fly and they are all decents rivers,
but youll find much more vegetation on the banks making casting tricky.

First let me tell yopu the flatbrook is in Sussex County and the fly
section starts from 206 to the flatbrook -Roy bridge about 4.4 miles
downstream. Right now we need a Game warden there with night vision to stop
the poaching !!!!!!! But it `s to late the river is completely void of fish
due to people seining the river at night with nets and bait fishing in the
fly section !!!!! Welcome to New Jersey

Gary16 Oct 2008, 07:03

Just went fly fishint on the Flat brook after the Fall Stocking and boy was
it a hoot. I caught 4 Brook Trout all over 3lbs each. That made my day .If
you have never been out when they stock like that you have to be their to
believe it. Besides it was just a great day to be outside rather then
inside working !!

paul king 15 Oct 2008, 09:02

i am trying to get directions to the fly fishing only section of big flat
brook in essex county nj. while i can find a general map of the area i
can't seem to find anything more detailed so i can figure out where to park
and walk into the river and dissapear from existence for a few hours. I
have my gray cadis and am ready to go .please help.\r\n\r\nthanks paul

paul king 15 Oct 2008, 09:02

i am trying to get directions to the fly fishing only section of big flat
brook in essex county nj. while i can find a general map of the area i
can't seem to find anything more detailed so i can figure out where to park
and walk into the river and dissapear from existence for a few hours. I
have my gray cadis and am ready to go .please help.\r\n\r\nthanks paul